MOSCOW, August 29. /TASS/. The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has allowed athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in international events under a neutral status starting next February, the global federation said in a statement on Tuesday.
"The Badminton World Federation (BWF) can confirm that athletes from Russia and Belarus will be allowed to participate as Individual Neutral Athletes in BWF sanctioned tournaments commencing 26 February 2024," the statement reads. "BWF Council voted to approve a regulative framework to allow athletes with Russian and Belarusian passports to begin competing as neutrals."
Commenting on the decision, BWF President Poul-Erik Hoyer stated: "This is an important decision for the sport."
"BWF Council equally aligns itself with the principles of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the global sports movement around open participation of athletes in international competitions," he stated.
"We feel the decision to lift the suspension on Russian and Belarusian athletes who meet the criteria to participate as individual neutral athletes is a positive step forward as part of our endeavor to promote peace and solidarity," Hoyer stated.
"Much work has been done to create a safe and thorough process to support this decision and it is important protocols are in place to safeguard all participants moving forward," the BWF chief added.
Thomas Lund, the BWF secretary general, added that: "BWF has worked closely and constructively with the IOC [the International Olympic Committee] on this matter to ensure a credible, reliable and holistic decision-making process."
"We also acknowledge the contributions of BWF Council and the Athletes’ Commission, our five Continental Confederations and those Member Associations directly involved," the BWF press office’s statement quoted Lund as saying.
"We are confident in the transparency of the framework, and it is important we now focus on the steps ahead and presenting safe and fair sport for all players," BWF Secretary General Lund added.
In early March 2022, the Badminton World Federation suspended athletes from Russia and Belarus from participating in the federation’s tournaments citing Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine as the reason.
On April 20, the BWF Council ruled to extend indefinitely its suspension of Russian and Belarusian athletes from international events.
At its session on January 25, 2023 the IOC Executive Board put forward a proposal to allow individual athletes from Russia and Belarus to take part in international sports tournaments, but only under certain conditions. Athletes from the countries in question should not be "actively supporting" Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine and must compete under a neutral status.